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Andy's Story

I came to Sewanee with an interest in a business career. During the summer of my freshman year I worked for a subprime lending company called Atlantic's where I was exposed to the world of credit while working in the fraud department.

As a Carey Fellow, I spent an entire semester as an intern with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s asset-based lending group. Working as an asset-based lending analyst required accounting, finance and statistical skills. In addition to being proficient with Excel, I needed to be familiar with all financial statements. At Sewanee, I had attended three sessions of the “Training the Street” workshops on financial modeling and valuation. The workshops were incredibly helpful in valuation and Excel training.

I frequently worked with leverage, liquidity and solvency ratios in order to determine the creditworthiness of possible clients. In addition, understanding various debt structures and underwriting terms was essential. The finance and accounting courses required in the business minor proved to be particularly useful. The teachers purposefully presented the curriculum in a manner that naturally prepped students for technical questions during interviews.

My internship at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey was extended from spring until the end of summer and it ended in a job offer, which I accepted. So I returned to the University for my senior year with my first job already lined up.

When I was asked to stay on at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey for the summer after my Carey Fellows spring internship, I found that I was ahead of many of the other interns because of the “Training the Street “ workshops, since the company required all the members of my analyst class to take a “Training the Street” workshop.

I would highly recommend the business minor to all students, but especially those looking to enter into the business world. Without a doubt, the job training and skills offered in the business minor are highly demanded in any business.